Lagman is a lamb stir fry from Uyghur, a cuisine Lucy Waverman featured in the September 24, 2010 edition of The Globe and Mail. According to Waverman, Uyghur food originated in China’s Xingjian province (formerly East Turkistan) and is a fusion of East Asian techniques and ingredients with a significant Turkish influence. I had never made a stir fry using lamb, so thought I’d give it a try. It was excellent, with great flavour, texture and colour. Cut the meat off a lamb sirloin chop; you can also use beef or chicken if you prefer.

Slices of lamb are stir fried with vegetables

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use tamari instead of soy sauce. Tamari uses a natural preservative—alcohol—instead of sodium benzoate. I couldn’t find all-natural beef stock, so I used Imagine Organic Chicken Broth, which worked well.

Lagman served over noodles

Ingredients:

Sauce

2 heaped tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon dried chili flakes

½ teaspoon sugar

½ cup beef stock or water

1 star anise, broken up

Meat

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 ounces (375 grams) thinly sliced lamb

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

1 cup sliced onion

½ red pepper, sliced

1 mild green banana pepper, sliced

1 cup thinly sliced carrot

2 cups diced tomato

3 cups sliced Napa cabbage

12 ounces (375 grams) udon noodles

¼ cup coriander sprigs

Preparation:

Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Heat a wok over high heat until very hot. Add oil and gently swirl to coat. Season lamb with salt and pepper and add to pan along with garlic and ginger and stir fry for 1 minute or until beginning to brown. Add onion, red pepper, banana pepper and carrots and stir fry until vegetables soften (about 2 minutes). Add tomato and cabbage and stir fry for 2 minutes or until cabbage has wilted. Stir in sauce, bring to boil and boil for about 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles and cook for 1 minute or until heated through. Drain and add to wok, stirring to combine with vegetables and sauce. Sprinkle with coriander sprigs. Serves 4.